Re-Election Platform Priorities
Serving as your City Councilman for the past four years has been an honor and a joy. I truly love my job and work hard at it. I put in about 20 hours a week preparing for meetings, doing background research, and writing on issues that I want to bring before the people and the City Council. I read every attachment on every item on every agenda for every meeting that I attend. I refuse to be unprepared for meetings and would be embarrassed to show up if I was not prepared. I pride myself on being one of the hardest working City Councilors.
Most of the work of a City Councilor involves conducting the business of the City by approving capital and operating expenditures, voting on resolutions and ordinances, and helping the City Manager and staff do the jobs we hired them to do. In addition to these less glamorous activities, we also get to write White Papers that introduce new projects. I have written more White Papers in my first term of office than any other City Councilor did during their first terms.
I have four main re-election platform priorities that involve new projects. If re-elected I will:
If re-elected I will continue my work with Conservation Collier to acquire even more open space to protect our Gopher Tortoises, Burrowing Owls, and their habitat. I led the effort to acquire and preserve over 3 acres of land that returned over $5,000,000 back to our island with these purchases. In addition to protecting our unique native species, preserving land keeps it from being built upon, helping to manage density and intensity.
I am passionate about the outdoors and spend most of my free hours outside running on the beach, playing tennis, paddling my kayak or riding my bike. I have submitted my proposal to develop a Blue/Green Parks and Recreation Master Plan that will expand our Parks and Recreation programs and make Marco Island an even better and safer place to walk, run, bike, paddle, swim, and play.
I am deeply concerned about the quality of our waterways and our world-class beach. I will continue the work I started with the Waterways Advisory Committee, Beach and Costal resources Advisory Committee (I serve as their City Council Liaison) and our City Council to clean up our waterways and restore them to their once pristine state. I will fight to preserve and protect our entire beach from South Beach to Tiger Tail Lagoon. I have been an ardent supporter of the Tiger Tail Lagoon restoration project and have recently started discussions with the Naples Botanical Gardens to explore a joint effort with them to restore vegetation along the Tiger Tail lagoon beachfront and Sand Dollar Spit. Replanting three levels of beach plants including mangroves is essential to holding or beach sand in place during storm surges.
I will fight for the rights of residents and business owners to develop or redevelop their properties. I created the Ad Hoc Business Development and Redevelopment Advisory Committee (I also serve as their City Council Liaison) with the single goal of identifying what the City does, or requires, that negatively affects one’s ability to develop or redevelop property, or open or operate a business and making recommendations to correct them.
I pride myself on being an independent thinker with no hidden agendas. I have supported issues that were not very popular and not supported issues that were. While I represent the people, I also have a responsibility to go against the majority when my research and understanding of an issue goes against commonly held misunderstandings.
In closing, I love my job as a City Councilor and would honor to serve for another four years. If elected I will continue to serve with integrity, passion, and commitment. I will do my best to continue to earn your respect every day.